Graphs:

Go to the biodiversity database and search for your school. Make a graph of the source data for the most recent year. On your graph, make one axis, “Number of Trees” and the other axis, “Species.”

Now go back to the biodiversity database and find another school that has a different biodiversity than your school. Graph their data the same as your school.

Questions:

1. Why is biodiversity important?
2. Describe your study area- where is it located? Is it on a school campus or a natural area?
3. Describe the non-living environment at your site, such as soil, slope, and aspect.
4. Do you think there have been any catastrophic disturbances at your study area over the past 100 years, such as agriculture, grazing, fire or logging?
5. How does your school’s biodiversity compare with other schools?
6. How does your school’s “trees per acre” compare with other schools?
7. Which do you think is more important, biodiversity or trees per acre?
8. What do you think causes high biodiversity?
9. What do you think causes low biodiversity?
10. What can you do to increase or maintain high biodiversity?

Note: The best graphs and answers from this assignment will be posted on the VT Biodiversity website!